Integrated circuits are what power many of today's consumer electronics, for instance, cellphones, video cameras, portable music players, computers, etc. The use of wafers is still the most cost-effective way to fabricate these integrated circuits. But, before these integrated circuits can be incorporated into today's consumer electronics, they must be separated from the wafer and assembled into final integrated circuit packages.
The assembly and packaging portion of the integrated circuit manufacturing process takes these separated integrated circuit devices, places them onto a leadframe, and interconnects the bonding pads of the integrated circuit to the leads of the leadframe via wire-bonding. This combination is then usually encapsulated by a resin compound to protect the integrated circuit package from various conditions, such as moisture, temperature, and mechanical vibration.
Unfortunately many integrated circuit package designs suffer from large footprint areas and die/package warpage. For example, wirebond interconnections formed between the bonding pads of the integrated circuit and the leads of the leadframe require a minimum spacing requirement that adds to the footprint of the integrated circuit package. Additionally, many packages experience die or package warpage as device profiles are reduced to meet customer demand toward smaller consumer electronic devices. The future packaging goals of the electronics industry will be met by decreasing the footprint and packaging profile of each device, while maintaining its structural integrity.
Thus, a need still remains for a reliable integrated circuit package system and method of fabrication, wherein the integrated circuit package system possesses a reduced footprint area and a reduced package profile while maintaining its structural rigidity. In view of the ever-increasing commercial competitive pressures, increasing consumer expectations, and diminishing opportunities for meaningful product differentiation in the marketplace, it is increasingly critical that answers be found to these problems. Moreover, the ever-increasing need to save costs, improve efficiencies, and meet such competitive pressures adds even greater urgency to the critical necessity that answers be found to these problems.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.